Black Note Stout | Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

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Notes / Commercial Description:
One of the most sought-after stouts in Bell's history, Black Note Stout blends the complex aromatics of Expedition Stout with the velvety smooth texture of Double Cream Stout and ages the combination in freshly retired oak bourbon barrels for months. The resulting harmony of flavors captures the finest features of all three components: malty notes of dark chocolate, espresso & dried fruits, all buoyed by the warmth and fragrance of the bourbon barrel. Aimed squarely at the stout and bourbon aficionados, Black Note makes a grand statement about the art of the dark.

Reviews by beerdrifter:

Picked up this 2012 vintage bottle in a great trade with Evan! Pitch black pour with a one finger caramel-colored head that fades quickly with minimal lacing. Bourbon and milk chocolate dominate the nose along with hints of licorice, oak, booze, and some subtle dark fruit. The taste really rich and is once again dominated by the bourbon and milk chocolate along with hints of fudge, licorice, vanilla, dark fruits, espresso, brown sugar, and oak. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and slightly syrupy with a smooth and subtly warming finish. Overall, this is right up there with my favorite BA Stouts. The ABV is well hidden and it's not as hot and boozy as most in this category. Highly recommended!

More User Reviews:

After a long search I finally got my hands on one single bottle with nearly a year in the cellar. This beer is amazing. It's as if BCBS and KBS meet at a bar,fell in love then had a child called Black Note.

Black Note was the biggest baby ever born in that hospital and nearly broke the state records for length and weight. Over the years Black Note began to develop characteristics of his parents. The strong bourbon and vanilla flavored of his father BCBS. Black Notes mother,KBS, loved chocolate especially with a cup of coffee.

As he grew up into a young man,Black Note balanced these features in perfect harmony and did the one thing his parents wanted for him the most. He became a better beer than them. He is Better educated, more successful and happier than they ever were.

T – Tons of vanilla, sweet chocolate malt notes, a hint of coffee. The burnt flavors are there, but seem to be “sweetly charred,” possible some caramelized flavors. Lots of bourbon and molasses, but very well balanced.

M – Milky, silky, very sweet. A lot of bitterness on the finish, some burnt notes.

O – This is a phenomenal, balanced, complex barrel-aged stout. My gold standard is Bourbon County, and the malt and hops here are much more balanced with the alcohol than with BCS (which is not to say I like Black Note more, just that it is more balanced.) This beer stands on its own as a fantastic example of barrel-aging.

Bottle 24 of 1081. Virtually no head on black, looks like a wine. carbonation still there though understated.Smoth mouthfel. Rich bourbon,not overpowering but substantial. Chocolate and coconut, this was barrelled a while, some mustiness. Better as it aired.Steve's bottle, thanks for not putting it up on ebay. My bottle shared with Liam.

Taste- Bourbon, figs, raisins, tobacco, a touch of vanilla and char. A prominent oak flavor is in the finish.

Feel- It's oily with a medium viscosity and a tad hot from the 11.2 abv.

Overall- A beer that I look forward to and I'm fortunate to have scored a few. A bourbon barrel forward stout with a slightly thin and hot feel. As a bourbon lover I enjoy it fresh, but I'm not opposed to cellaring a couple for a smoother alternative. It definitely ranks near the top of the class.

One of the best BA stouts I've ever had. Split a 12oz botttle(2013) with my wife and two of our friends to celebrate the births of our children. Lucky for me, most of my guests didn't care too much for BA stouts, so I had the lion's share of the pour. As complex as BCBS without being overly boozy. Got a huge espresso nose, but not a lot in taste.

Serving: 12 oz. bottle poured into a Founder's CBS snifter. Bottled on 7/1/16, making this almost 5.5 months old at this point.

A: Pours a nearly pitch black color with just a hint of caramel-mocha head on the rim. Tons of alcohol legs up the glass, very oily.

S: Tons of vanilla, marshmallow, caramel, and cocoa up front. Soft notes of bourbon and oak come through right at the end. Not a huge barrel presence, but it's there.

T: More oak and bourbon up front in the taste. Huge vanilla, marshmallow, caramel, and fig in the finish. Even picking up a small dash of hops from the usually quite aggressive Expedition Stout in the finish as well.

M: A bit thinner than previous editions, but still medium mouthfeel overall.

O: I've had several vintages of this beer in the past (both fresh and aged), but never had the chance to review it fresh until now. This one has always been my favorite BA Imperial Stout in Michigan, ahead of KBS and BB Plead, mostly because it's the most drinkable to me. I really love that marshmallow/vanilla vibe from the Double Cream Stout, and it almost puts this on the spectrum of a VBDL. It doesn't pack quite the punch as I remember, the barrel might not be as big, and the mouthfeel a touch thinner, but this beer still kills it whenever it decides to show it's face.

Recommendation: You haven't had one of the best beers from Michigan until you've had this one.

Poured out pitch black and had a dismal dark mocha head that dissipated rather fast. Strong smell of bourbon, some dark espresso,some boos, slight burnt sugar, figs, and some dark chocolate after swirled (complex.) Stong Dark chocolate and roast, a little bourbon, slight boos, Lots of vanilla in the finish with a pleasant smooth ending note. This beer is dry and thin in the mouth with low levels of carbonation. This is a impressive beer worth trying. A sipper at that and one with a lot of interesting complexity. Definitely worth picking up and trying, Cheers!

Ding ding ding. We got a winner here. Great looking great tasting brew. Absolutely awesome how the flavors melt together. Nothing stronger than any other. Ultra smooth and clean. Shoot to kill on this one.

As amazing as the bourbon character is, it doesn't seem to eclipse the base, which brings notes of subtle dark fruit (fig and plum primarily, with subsidiary notes of date), chocolate, and subtle coffee with a kiss of roast. Pleasant cream is also noticeable, but I'm not finding the espresso mentioned on the label - as nice as the coffee is.

Constructively, I have come across stout aromas with richer more expressive chocolate and more complex roasty coffee notes. I nitpick, but it's an incredible aroma overall.

As it comes to temperature, hidden notes of marshmallow and toasted coconut begin to emerge, as well as a fleeting kiss of faint char and burnt sugar.

No hop profile or yeast character is detectable, nor are any off-notes.

TASTE: The open greets the drinker with notes of cream and soft bourbon. The bourbon barrel character is fantastic, boasting notes of authentic vanilla, slightly toasted white oak, and barrel sugars that remain strong throughout the beer, lending it a natural guiding cohesion. The bourbon doesn't overwhelm the base beer, but rather accents its notes of impressively subtle dark fruit (fig and plum), roasted barley, and coffee.

The coffee, unfortunately, is quite shallow and uninteresting compared to other stellar imperial stouts; more complexity, diversity, and depth of flavour is needed for the coffee note to play with the big boys.

Chocolate is similarly limited; I get some creamy milk chocolate, but it's limited in scope and intricacy. We've all had better chocolate notes in beer. As it warms, though, some fudge emerges.

The foundation is comprised of dark malts and chocolate malts, which form an easily imposed-upon neutral stout base - a blank slate into which the more interesting notes can insert themselves.

I find a glimmer of coconut which never fully resolves. And the marshmallow I thought I found in the aroma is absent here...or is it? It flirts with notes of grape and currant, but never fully commits.

Balance is nearly impeccable, with few flaws noticeable aside from a faint charred and burnt character at the bottom of the second act. There's definite complexity and nuance in this build, but I can't find the espresso promised by the label, and if we're nitpicking (as I feel we must do whenever a beer is in the Top 250), I have had more complex & intricate imperial stouts. But few feature such a well-attuned harmony of bourbon barrel and base beer notes. This tastes like a gestalt whole.

Still, this is a delicious brew of the highest quality, and I find myself drinking slowly to savor each sip.

TEXTURE: Damn. This beer just melts into the palate with incredible softness and angelic delicacy. Creamy, comforting on the palate, and fragile. Smooth and wet, enhancing drinkability. The creaminess coupled with the softness is divine, and carbonation is near perfect. It's aptly full-bodied and has ideal thickness, which is needed to support the beer's many flavours. Incredibly well executed, with superb overall presence on the palate. This is a mouthfeel that elevates a beer beyond its taste, and accentuates the notes in the flavour profile, coaxing out their nuances. Majestic.

If not for a slight harshness brought on by burnt sugar and char in the late second act, this mouthfeel would be perfect.

OVERALL: Shockingly drinkable for its unnoticeable 11.4%. Easily one of Bell's best beers (if not THE best), and absolutely a beer that deserves its high ratings. I'm not sure I'd consider it the 25th best beer in the world, but it's a treat of a brew and avoids the common pitfalls of the style: it's not too sweet or dessert-like, it doesn't have acrid or overly bitter coffee, the bourbon barrel doesn't eclipse the base, it doesn't lack a roasted barley presence, and while it has notable complexity, it doesn't sacrifice balance to attain it.

Its main flaw is that pesky burnt/charred character.

High B+

Might easily become an A- with age. But I could never hold onto a bottle for that long; it's too good.

O: Incredibly balanced and smooth with a rich blend of interesting flavors. After 2 years the beer has mellowed and accepted the char nicely without ruining the bourbon flavor or the chocolate, coffee, toffee flavors you'd hope for in a bourbon stout. Overall, a great beer that I'm very happy to enjoy. If I was able to get this beer properly aged again, I'd be happy to trade for it. Very pleased; Does not possess an overly alcoholic taste even though there are definitely notes of bourbon whiskey initially. A smooth, buttery feel that lingers provides an opportunity to experience all the flavors in this beer. Overall, it is slightly better than what I remember first tasting 2 years ago and offers some pleasantly unusual tastes compared to other barrel-aged bourbon stouts.

Bottled dated 10/5/2017. Poured into my 3 Taverns tulip.
Look: Jet black body, light tan head. Not much head retained after a minute or two.
Smell: Bourbon. Vanilla. Like someone spilled bourbon on a wood floor and left it there for a year. Kind of like the bourbon afficando's room at the frat house. (the guy who drank Evan Williams instead of the bottom bottom shelf, then would randomly get hooked up by his dad over Christmas with a bottle of something fancy). I digress.
Taste: Vanilla, bitter dark chocolate. Not really picking up the winter fruits. The vanilla isn't cloyingly sweet either. Works really well with the faintest bourbon finishing notes. Some slight alcoholic spice on back end. Okay, now that it's warming up, I pick up some raisin and date notes.
Feel: Full bodied but lighter full bodied. Creamy. If this wasn't bourbon barrel aged, I'd be shocked to find out this was over 11% abv.
Overall: Very good selection from Bell's. Could drink more than one of these, and this is rare for me to say about a bourbon barrel aged stout. Definitely worth seeking out; I'd love to try this fresh too.

No luck on the CBS search, but the search led me to one of these. Success. I tried to take two ( there was two left) but was immediately informed it was one per (but they had it on tap,shout out to Brawley’s). Would have tried to age the 2nd. Packaged 10/5/17. First time having it. Poured into a tulip glass, dark as night, with a half finger tan head that moves quickly to a thin lace. Aroma is heavy chocolate, cocoa, plum and faint wood/bourbon. The taste is...tasty. Chocolate, cocoa, anise...bourbon and wood get more apparent as it warms. The mouthfeel is medium heavy, and gets sticky. Carbonation is medium. Overall, a great stout,reminds me a lot of Expedition with a little bourbon and more chocolate.

2012 vintage 12oz bottle dated 12/28/2012, poured into a Bell's snifter today and quaffed 4/13/2013. This review is also based on the four times I've had this now- twice on tap, and twice in the bottle. This is the first time I've had a chance to sit down, relax and write a review. And I am thoroughly enjoying this just like all the other times.

Aroma: Smells delicious, like a dessert port. Decadent chocolate accompanied by vanilla, bourbon and oak. And it actually smells thick and creamy, like how I would imagine liquid Ritter Sport (German) chocolate would smell like. I mean, I've had my share of BA beers including the recent vintage of KBS and last year's BCBS and this definitely has them beat in the nose.

Colour: Pours like a thick, viscous motor oil. Jet black body, illuminates with just a tiny hint of dark, dark cola brown at the surface. Not a ton of head, it pours with a brief, less than 1 cm dark brown head that is ephemeral. It leaves no traces, not even a collar. You get spots of lacing here and there but for the most part it's this viscous liquid dark chocolate. Nice.

Flavour: Very, very complex and I really love this beer. Up front, and especially early on while it's still at cellar temperature, there is quite a bit of straight up bourbon, vanilla and oak wood. This quickly gives way to this pure chocolate sweetness, with a bit of molasses and fire-roasted marshmallows, just like the ones you make s'mores with. As the temperature warms up, I start to get a little bit of dark fruits- figs in particular, which actually reminded me of Expedition Stout the first time I had this beer before knowing what the components were. The finish is smooth and creamy, a little bit of espresso and cream like a cappuccino- but I want to say something more like macchiato- less cream, more bitter espresso yet smooth. This beer drinks like a dessert drink and there's nothing like this beer that I've had the privilege to drink. Even as it gets close to room temperature, the heat is pretty indistinct and covered up by all the complex flavours and smells of this beer. tl;dr- this is an incredibly complex beer that somehow melds all the flavours together well while hiding its 11.5% ABV very well.

Mouthfeel: Initially, I would have guessed they had to have some contribution from Double Cream Stout, because the mouthfeel reminds me a lot of that particular Bell's offering. It's a very thick bodied, very smooth and creamy beer that is actually well carbonated based on how my tongue perceives the beer. It fizzes quickly as I swish it around, coating my palate in a thick and viscous chocolatey heaven. The aftertaste is sweet, bitter and creamy all at once- like if I made a macchiato and put a block of dark Belgian chocolate in it. Simply sublime.

Overall: I've just been so impressed with this beer. It's one for the ages. I say the same for BCBS, but in the realm of subjective preferences, I'm going to take Black Note over BCBS if I were ever offered the choice (which is probably going to be very rare). It's exceptionally smooth, creamy sweet and such a decadent pleasure to quaff. The heat, even when it gets close to room temperature, is relatively minimal. It's truly a joy to drink and I treasure each opportunity I have to be able to drink this beer.

Perfect looking BA Stout, black with ample dark tan head. Nose is very complex, bourbon, chocolate, coffee, ashy roast, caramel and some subtle dark fruit. Flavor follows the nose, huge rich stout--roast, chocolate and some caramel and dark fruit. Bourbon and oak are pronounced and complement the stout beautifully. The beer is chewy and velvety smooth, finishes slightly sweet then changes to slightly dry with lingering oak and roast. A more balanced IS with bourbon/oak opposed to a straight whiskey bomb--but make no mistake plenty of barrel character. A true work of art. Wow.

Pours a shiny pitch black color. Thin head struggles to cover the top of the beer and dissipates almost as quickly as it appears. A thin ring of foam is noted along the outside of the beer.

Aroma has notes of oak, bourbon, roasted malts, creme, cocoa, and some sweet caramel. Very nice rich aroma that is quite strong.

Taste is immediately roasted malts with some cocoa and coffee notes and some semi-sweet creme. The oak and bourbon comes through clearly but without overtaking the underlying stout. Lovely balance between the roasted bitter Russian imperial stout, the addition of the sweet creme stout and the barrel aging.

Feel is sticky and full bodied albeit on the thinner side. Mild carbonation. Smooth finish and somewhat dry.

This beer pours a pitch black color with a two finger, creamy light brown head. Retention is above average for the style and there are some filmy chunks of lacing left on the glass.

Smell is sweet dark fruits, bourbon, oak, vanilla, molasses, coffee and chocolate. The coffee and chocolate really come out more as the beer warms. Very complex nose with lots of layers.

Taste is much different and honestly fairly average. The dark fruits are the most flavorful aspect, with a bit of chocolate. There is no real bourbon flavor, just a bit of harsh booziness on the finish.

Feel is medium, but fairly thin for the style. Smooth and creamy with a bit of stickiness on the finish and into the aftertaste.

Overall I'm pretty disappointed with this beer. If the taste was more similar to the smell it would be a different story, but the flavor profile just doesn't do it for me. On top of that the thinness of the body is really a let down.

I had this on tap at the Bavarian Lodge. I was really excited to see what was in store for this beer.
A- It was a nice deep black typical of imperial stouts with crimson around the edge of the glass where the light was hitting it. I typically like my stouts a much deeper color though.

S- Sweet bourbon hits you right away. It smells really boozy. Then I get chocolate, roasted notes with some toffee.

T- At first it was too boozy. I let it warm up and It got better. It was smooth and a decent stout but nothing better than what is on the shelf

M- I would like a lot more thickness from this beer with a name like Black note

O- This is an overrated beer if I've ever seen one. Did not live up to the hype. KBS is 100 times better. I cannot stress enough that this beer is no better than another bourbon barrel aged stout on the shelf at your liquor store. I was really struggling to get any complexity's from it and there was no coffee flavor what so ever. Don't get me wrong this is a good beer but It's definitely is nothing special and I still can't believe what people will trade for this. Do yourself a favor and mix expedition and double cream yourself and add a little bourbon. You'll have the same thing.

I got one of the last few at Bestway and Iam thankful to Roger for it.Poured into a snifter jet black with a one inch deep beige head atop.Aromas of chocolate and roasted nuts mixed with alcohol dipped dark fruit,very rich and appetizing.Thick and chewey in the mouth,it coats the mouth and glides down easily.Wow the complexity on the palate is something to savor,dark roast and chocolate with some nuttiness and even some faint wood smoke,the alcohol is big but not over bearing lending some sweetness to go along with some deep raisin notes.You really gotta give it to guys or gals who can craft a beer like this,so rich and lush but with so much complexity,kick ass that's all I can say about it.

Mmm... Bell's Black Note. Half Expedition Stout, half Special Double Cream Stout - two beers that I love - aged for months in old bourbon barrels. How can you go wrong, right? This is one of those beers that often gets compared to KBS and BCBS, so needless to say - I'm very excited to try it. The pour is pitch black as it tumbles out like old motor oil that should've been changed months ago. The half-inch tan cap lasts for longer than expected and leaves behind some wet lacing. Very nice looking beer.

The aroma follows suit for this style of beer very closely. In other words, it's pretty fantastic. The bourbon barrel notes are the first thing to jump out - smooth bourbon, wet oak, vanilla. Very powerful without being brash. Lots of rich chocolates up front, too. Milky sweet and savory. Nice, sweet molasses underbody with plenty of roasted malt and coffee in the tail end. The aroma has a perfectly inviting warmth to it. It doesn't change much as the beer warms up, it just gets stronger. I'm okay with that.

I certainly don't think I would have been able to pick out Expedition or DC Stout had I not been told, but after taking a few sips, I certainly can believe it. The mouth feel is fantastic. Silky, smooth, chewy, robust, thick - just so pleasing to let this one sit and swish around your palate for a bit. Huge robustness right out of the gate with a solid bourbon character that lasts from start to finish. It has one of the richest, creamiest, and most full-bodied inductions of chocolate that I've ever tasted. Sweet, delicate cocoa with a faint wisp of bitterness. Milky, creamy, and elegant.

The barrel flavors are definitely pronounced and become even more heady twenty minutes in. Heavy oak and vanilla, still with the solid meshing of warm bourbon. Some lightly burnt coffee beans make their way in and out, but must really be searched for. The roast from the malt injects a little more bitterness that plays well with the sweetness of the beer and the warmth of the booze. A nearly perfect trifecta of balance is happening on my palate. The finish shows some super-dark, bourbon-soaked and lightly sugar coated fruits; dates and figs being the best descriptions. That's what reminds me the most of Expedition. The finish has lots of dark chocolate, roasty malt, and oak-soaked bourbon with a fading vanilla note. Incredibly complex and super enjoyable.

Incredible beer. I love both of the base beers, so mixing them together and aging them in bourbon barrels is most-likely going to be a success, and it definitely was. Very drinkable for being nearly 12% ABV, but it's still better to enjoy this one over the course of an hour. Insanely complex and insanely delicious - get some!